The different methods of divination? Below are many types of divination forms, prophecies in this world, so this list has grown relatively easily! Sometimes, less popular systems become more mainstream, so I will continue to add to this article over time. Practice makes the divination familiar and the tools become second nature. These are just a few of what StudioB and Stephanie offer in sessions or healing tools. If you have any questions and want to know more, seek out one of the workshops. And always contact me by email, phone or social media.

 

Enjoy!

 

Methods of Divination: Overview

 

The first thing to note is that these methods of divination appear in no particular order. They are grouped in each system below into one of the following:

 

• Body parts

• Bones, shells and animals

• Cards

• Casting and lots

• Crystals

• Fire and burning

• Random patterns

• Signs and spirit

• Sky and stars

• Words and numbers

 

Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Continuing education and growth in knowledge with this list of methods of divination for the last few years. I will add to my spiritual journey many new things and help spread knowledge on it as well.  If there is a method which has not been included, there is a mastery to the art of divination. The more you practice the more energy you can put out with the help of different divinations.

 

• Methods of Divination Using Body Parts

• Dactylomancy

Dactylomancy is a Greek term that translates as ‘finger divination.’ Traditionally, dactylomancy is practiced using a ring. However, technically, any form of divination that uses the finger could count as dactylomancy, but most people know dactylomancy as the type of divination that uses rings. Pendulums are what most use and if you have no string a single hair will do of yours. And some do muscle testing for extra and discrete divination on matters quickly. 

​

To practice dactylomancy, you first need to tie a ring to a piece of string. You’ll then think of your question and lift the string so that the ring is suspended in the air. Finally, you will interpret the sway of the ring as being a yes, no, or maybe.

​

• Methods of Divination Using Bones, Shells, & Animals

Systems of divination using bones, shells and animals:

After body parts, it is only natural that humans would take to using animals in their divination. There are probably as many methods of divination using animals as there are any other system.

 

Below, I have outlined some of the fortune-telling tools which, one way or another, use animals, shells, or other animal products. However, the vast majority of divination methods use animal symbolism in one way or another. For example, there are animals in oracle cards. So, in a way, all methods of divination could fall under this animal section.

 

• Augury

Augury is the practice of divining the future based on the movement of birds. Birds have been given special status by humans throughout history, possibly because many cultures have believed that birds are messengers of the gods. Therefore, because they fly between our world and heaven, they should know things that man does not!

 

• Bone Reading

Osteomancy – aka bone reading divination – has seen a massive surge of interest in recent years thanks to the internet and an increased interest in traditional African religions.

 

Perhaps one of the most ancient forms of divination to include the use of tools, bone casting has been around for thousands of years. It has been practiced in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and everywhere in between. The symbolism of each piece of bone used is dependent on the culture of the diviner and the traditions they follow. 

​

• Methods of Divination Using Cards

Cards as divination tools Tarot, oracle, lenormand and so on:

It is official – fortune-telling cards are the thing. Tarot cards have been a way for folks to grow in new ways. Cards have mass mainstream appeal because they are both pretty and practical.

 

There are several different types of card systems which you can use to predict the future and gain advice. If you do not find a system you are familiar with below, it will probably fall under the heading of ‘Oracle cards’.

 

• Lenormand

• Lenormand is a 36-card reading system that uses Lenormand cards. Like several other forms of cartomancy, Lenormand began as a card game (Game of Hope) and developed into a kind of divination.

​

Each Lenormand card depicts an object such as an anchor, ship, or mountain. Each of these objects has a symbolic meaning – for example, a mountain represents a problem and a ship represents travel, among other things. For reading, the cards are combined to form definitions known as Lenormand card combinations, so a mountain and ship combination could be interpreted as representing an issue with travel. 

 

Like in Tarot, Lenormand uses spreads. However, unlike with Tarot, there are only a few standard Lenormand spreads: the String, Square, and Grand Tableau. Lenormand can be learned very quickly. Depending on your talents as a reader, you can get very detailed information from reading Lenormand cards, and the system is excellent for giving predictive readings or readings where your client doesn’t want to give too much away (if you read for others). I generally recommend that you learn Lenormand if you plan on reading lots of people, but Tarot if you intend on reading mainly for yourself. You can find out how to read Lenormand on the Lenormand Oracle website.

 

• Oracle Cards

Oracle cards are a form of cartomancy. While most other types of card divination are used for fortune-telling, Oracle cards tend to focus mostly on giving advice. Oracle cards are readily available online and in shops, so this is an accessible method of divination. Here at Divination & Fortune Telling, we have an article that outlines how to read Oracle cards.

 

• Tarot

Tarot divination is a form of cartomancy (card divination) that uses special Tarot cards. Similar to playing cards, Tarot has four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins) plus Court cards (Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages). Unlike playing cards, Tarot cards have 22 extra cards, including Death, The Devil, and The Lovers.

 

Tarot card decks usually come in two types: illustrated and unillustrated. Unillustrated means that the pictures are not detailed, so a Ten of Swords only depicts ten swords. However, illustrated cards describe a scene, so a Ten of Swords in an illustrated pack might show a man lying on the ground with ten swords in his back. The most popular unillustrated deck is the Tarot de Marseilles, and the most popular illustrated deck is The Rider-Waite Tarot. There are plenty of resources that will assist you in learning Tarot, especially my free guide, Tarot for Beginners, which will teach you everything you need to know to learn Tarot. Tarot does require a lot of commitment, but it’s also possibly one of the most useful types of divination to learn.

 

• Methods of Divination Using Casting & Lots

Items as fortune telling tools lots and casting:

Casting and lots have their similarities, but they are quite different, so I am going to explain this first. Casting is a method of divination which involves a diviner throwing an item (usually a stone, charm, bone or crystal) and interpreting the way in which it lands. The diviner may throw down one or several items at once.

 

Lots are groups of objects. During a lot of reading, the diviner will select one item from a group of items at random. The selected item can then be interpreted by the diviner. For example, in Greek mythology, Zeus became the God of the sky because he pulled the longest stick out of a group of lots. I have included lots and casting in the same section because things which are casted can also be used as a lot. You can cast charms, but you can also randomly select them from a bag.

 

• Charm Casting

Similar to osteomancy (bone reading), charm casting involves throwing charms and interpreting how they land in relation to each other and/or reading how they fall on a divination board. Technically, osteomancy can be called casting, but casting cannot be called osteomancy unless the diviner uses bone.

 

Casting charms can be made up of those that have been created specifically for this purpose (such as the Magpie Oracle), or you can create your own set using keys, thimbles, nuts, seeds, bone, or anything else you find. You can go all out and buy 9ct gold charms, or you can wait until charms make their way to you in the form of lucky finds when you’re out walking – it’s really up to you.

 

• Dice Divination 

Dice divination is a method of divination that uses dice. You can use regular dice or special fortune-telling dice created for the purpose. If you’re using standard dice, it’s customary to use two or three dice, not just one. Once you have your dice, all you have to do is ask your question, roll them, and take note of the answer. If all dice contain an odd number, the answer is no. If all dice have revealed an even number, the answer is yes. However, if there’s a mix between odd and even numbers, the answer is uncertain or unclear at this time.

 

• Kau Chim

Kau chim is a type of fortune-telling that originated in China and is popular in Buddhist and Taoist temples. Known as Chi Chi Sticks in the West, this method involves asking a question, drawing a kau chim stick from a tube, and interpreting the meaning concerning the issue. Kau chim sticks are wooden sticks that are housed in a tube. These rods are inscribed with numbers and characters. Altogether, there are 100 sticks, each with a different number, character, and meaning. Depending on how the diviner reads them, the interpretation of each rod may be long or short.

 

• Ogham (husband)

Ogham is a type of divination that claims ancient British origin (although some historians discredit this), and which uses sticks to predict the future or gain advice. Each rod in ogham is engraved with a letter from the Ogham alphabet (which, unlike our Latin alphabet, actually is ancient in origin).

 

• Runes (husband)

Rune divination is a prevalent method of divination that uses runes to predict the future or get advice. The system originated in Northern Europe. According to Scandinavian mythology, the god Odin hung himself from a tree for nine days to learn the secrets of the runes. Due to their popularity, runes are one of the most available types of divination to learn in modern times. You can also buy visually appealing sets of runes made from crystals, such as amethyst and quartz.  

 

• Methods of Divination Using Crystals

Methods of divination and fortune telling using crystals:

It is quite common for fortune-tellers to believe that their crystals emit energy. Celestite high frequency and divine energies, connect one with the Angelic realms. It is no surprise that humans have taken to using crystals and minerals in their divination.

 

• Crystal Ball Reading

Sometimes called ‘scrying,’ crystal ball reading is a method of fortune-telling that uses crystal balls. Crystal balls come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from actual crystals, such as quartz, or glass.

 

To read a crystal ball, you’ll need to clear your mind and stare into one. You may see shapes within the ball itself, or you might get ideas forming in your third eye. Reading this way takes some time to get used to but is rewarding. Crystal ball reading is one of the most famous types of divination, so it’s possible to learn. However, although there’s information out there on reading with crystal balls, much of it isn’t very modern. Real quartz crystal balls can also be expensive, and mastering one requires a very particular psychic skillset (and plenty of dedication).

 

• Dowsing

There are two popular types of dowsing. One type uses rods and is usually performed for the purpose of locating areas where there may be water or oil. Sometimes, divination rods are employed to find missing objects.

​

The other type of dowsing divination uses a crystal, glass, or metal pendulum as a tool. The diviner asks the pendulum a question, holds the pendulum in their fingers, and waits for it to sway. The sway of the pendulum is interpreted by the diviner to represent a yes, no, or maybe in precisely the same way a ring would be deciphered in dactylomancy. 

 

• Lithomancy

Lithomancy is the correct term for divination using stones. Although the term can apply to any rocks, in modern prophecy, it’s usually reserved for divination using crystal-tumbled stones such as amethyst and tiger’s eye. The meaning of each crystal will correspond to your understanding of that crystal. So, amethyst might mean that you need to work on your spiritual development. Rose quartz could say that you will soon find love.

 

To practice lithomancy, all you need to do is put 10 or more crystals into a mojo bag, shake them up, ask a question, then pull one out. The crystal you draw will guide you or may symbolize a possible outcome.

 

• Mirror Scrying 

Mirror Scrying, especially using black obsidian mirrors, is mainly associated with Mesoamerican culture. Before mirrors, scryers used bowls of water to divine the future, but the use of water never went out of fashion. Water is still being used as a form of divination Mirrors and water hold the same symbolic meaning for many people from the region; they act as portals to the spirit world.

 

In modern times, mirror scrying the techniques behind divining using a mirror are very similar to crystal ball divination, if not the same. You can use a regular mirror, but black obsidian ones are readily available online. 

 

• Methods of Divination Using Fire & Burning 

Methods of divination and fortune telling using burning:

We can never really know how long our ancestors have used fire as a fortune-telling tool. It is safe to say that probably around the time fire was invented, humans have assigned special meanings to flames, smoke, and ashes.

 

• Capnomancy

Capnomancy is a form of fortune-telling that assigns meaning to the shapes formed in smoke from candles, fire, or burning herbs or incense. Accessible to most, Capnomancy is performed in the same way you would interpret the shapes of clouds. Therefore, if you have a particular talent for making out shapes in clouds, capnomancy should be a breeze.

 

• Ceromancy

Ceromancy is divination using the shapes formed from the melted wax of a candle, and is essentially a type of candle divination. The easiest way to practice ceromancy is to solidify the wax with water.

 

Ceromancy is rather simple to get the hang of. Basically, you just need to ask your question, then light a colored candle. Wait a few hours for the wax to gather. Next, fill a bowl of cold water, then slowly pour the candle wax into the water. Give the wax a couple of minutes to fully harden, then take it out and interpret its shape in relation to your question.

 

• Libanomancy 

Libanomancy is divination using incense smoke. To practice this method, all you must do is petition a spirit, light incense as an offering, and interpret the movement of the smoke as a message from that spirit. Some diviners would even take the way in which the incense has burned and the patterns in the ash left behind as significant.

 

• Pyromancy

Pyromancy is divination using fire. Technically, candle divination, xylomancy, and any divination involving burning fall under the more general category of pyromancy.
 

• Methods of Divination Using Random Patterns & Symbols

Methods of divination using tea cups and dreams:

An understanding of symbolism is needed if you want to practice divination. And that goes for all systems of fortune-telling. However, there are some divination methods which rely mainly on patterns and symbols and they have made this list.

 

• Tasseomancy 

Tasseomancy, also known as tea leaf reading, is one of the best-known types of fortune-telling thanks in part to its popularization due to the Harry Potter franchise. Tea leaf reading involves interpreting the shapes of loose tea leaves as they appear in a cup. You can buy special fortune-telling equipment, but you don’t have to; just a regular teacup and tea leaves are fine. However, it’s best if you use real tea leaves and not tea from tea bags.

 

Tasseomancy is relatively accessible and easy to practice. However, it does require a bit of knowledge of symbolism, so in that way, it’s similar to dream interpreting, crystal ball reading, and other symbolic forms of divination.

 

• Methods of Divination Using Signs & Spirit

Methods of divination using mediumship and spirits:

I practice Apantomancy and speak to my ancestors on a daily basis. It could be argued that all divination methods use signs or messages from spirit. Without some type of spiritual communication, your readings do not mean anything special. However,

there are some divination methods which are highly focused on spirit communication and they have made this list.

 

• Apantomancy

Apantomancy is a divination method which uses things you come across by chance, usually animals. In general, you would interpret the things you see as being a sign from the spirits, the universe, God, or gods/goddesses. Many beliefs about what certain symbols mean have made their way into mainstream consciousness.

 

For example, if you believe that black cats crossing your path is bad luck, you’ve practiced apantomancy. However, the meaning of signs and symbols is usually personal. Apantomancy requires no special equipment and can increase your psychic development. You can learn more about apantomancy divination on this website. 

 

• Cledonism 

Cledonism is when you take things that you hear to be significant. For example, while writing this post, I heard the word ‘fortune-telling’ on TV and took this as a divine sign that I’m on the right path with this post!

 

Cledonomancy should not be confused with so-called ‘clear hearing’ or clairaudience. If you’re clairaudient, you have the ability to hear spirit using your psychic senses. By contrast, a cledonomancer will hear things in real life, such as words spoken by people, something on TV, or a significant song that comes on the radio during a crisis. Cledonism is in a class with apantomancy in that it can be a form of seeing/hearing signs from Gods and the spirits. Cledonism was popular among the ancient Greeks. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus hears thunder after asking for a sign and takes this as a mark of approval from Zeus. .
 

• Methods of Divination Using the Sky & Stars

Methods of divination and fortune telling using the sky:

There is something in human nature which drives us to check our horoscope. Even those of us who do not believe in fortune-telling are quick to flip to the back of magazines and read their entry. This innate drive, which is in us all, is why divination methods which use the sky and stars are eternally popular.

​​

• Astrology

Astrology is divination using the movement of the planets and stars. Of all the methods and forms of fortune-telling, astrology is probably the most famous and widely practiced. It dates to at least 2000 BC (and most likely earlier) – the Mayans, Indians, and Chinese have all had their own systems of astrology. The modern system of Western astrology has its roots in Mesopotamia. If you want to master astrology, the first thing to learn is the meanings of the planets. Once you’ve done this, you learn about the signs of the zodiac and then the houses. Finally, you can eat up more advanced stuff like aspects, squares, etc.

 

It’s relatively easy to become an astrologer, as there are plenty of books, courses, and online resources out there, and you can even track the movement of planets on the internet. You can access your birth chart in seconds using an online calculator and begin to predict your future. You can find out more about astrology planetary correspondences on this website. 

 

• Brontomancy

Brontomancy means divination using thunder. This natural method of divination is pretty much a cross between divination using signs (apantomancy), divination using the weather (aeromancy), and divination using sound (cledonism). According to diviners, to hear the sound of thunder is a message of approval from the gods.

 

• Nephomancy

Nephomancy is a method of divination that involves seeing shapes in clouds and interpreting those shapes as being signs of spiritual significance. For example, you may know the form of an anchor and take this as a message that your life is about to get more consistent.  

 

• Methods of Divination Using Words & Numbers

Systems of fortune telling using numbers and words:

You can practice divination with a pen and a piece of paper. By using a quick equation, you can work out if your relationship is likely to last thanks to artihmancy. Or, you can tap into your subconscious through the use of automatic writing. As long as you can read and write, these methods of divination are open to you.

 

• Arithmancy

Most types of divination that use numbers are usually known as numerology. Technically, numerology is when you assign spiritual significance to numbers, and arithmancy is when you analyze those numbers. However, when people talk about number divination, they usually refer to it as numerology. The Assyrians, Babylonians, and Greek systems are known as gematria or isopsephy.

 

Arithmancy and numerology are relatively easy to practice and learn because they’re still prevalent in modern times all across the world. If you want to practice number divination, you can find out more about it on this website under arithmancy and numerology.

 

• Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy is divination using books. To practice bibliomancy, all you must do is ask for guidance, open a book, and read whichever page or paragraph you feel drawn to; this is your message.

 

Typically, you would use a religious or spiritual book such as the Bible or even The Egyptian Book of the Dead. However, don’t overcomplicate bibliomancy; any book will do just fine.

 

• Numerology 

Numerology is a method of divination using numbers. (See arithmancy above.)

​​

Again These are just a few that are practiced and even some that you may be doing daily as well. check out any workshop on root working to manifesting your path to abundant living with a deep authentic self living life.

​

​

​